How to choose beer yourself: a detailed guide for beginners

• How to choose a delicious beer
• Seven signs of good beer
• Rules for drinking beer

Beer is a low-alcohol beverage made from hops, barley malt, and yeast through fermentation. But not everything on store shelves and in bars can be called truly good beer.

How can you choose a tasty beer

How can you choose a tasty beer if you don't know anything about it?  Here are ten simple rules to help you find a truly good drink.

• 1. Label

To avoid buying a poor-quality product, you need to check the label for authenticity. On a quality beer, it should be affixed evenly, without wrinkles, bubbles, or damage.  All information, including ingredients and shelf life, should be easy to read. And with the help of special apps, you can check the authenticity of the excise stamp to ensure the legality of the product. 

• 2. Shelf life

The shorter the shelf life, the better the quality of the beer. Stabilizers are added to the drink for long-term storage, which makes it harder on the body. For example, live unfiltered beer can only be stored for 2-3 days, and it is best to try it in breweries. Pasteurized “live” beer from the store can be stored for several weeks. Never drink beer that has expired — it can cause poisoning.

• 3. Strength and density

The numbers 10%, 12%, or 14% on the bottle most often refer to the density of the beer, not its strength. Here is an approximate conversion to familiar degrees:

• — 10% density — about 4% alcohol;
• — 12% — about 5%;
• — 14% — about 6%;
• — 18% — about 8%.

Nowadays, many manufacturers directly indicate the alcohol content. The norm is from 3% to 14%. Good beer has an alcohol-to-density ratio of about 1 to 2.5. If the balance is disturbed, alcohol may have been added to the drink.

• 4. Storage conditions

Beer in kegs in bars or stores must be stored in a cool place. This is especially important to monitor in the summer. Heat and sunlight cause beer to spoil quickly and may cause it to ferment. Therefore, both in restaurants and supermarkets, it is worth asking where the drink was stored. It is best not to take warm bottles from the shelves. 

• 5. Cleanliness matters

Beer keg tubes should be cleaned daily or at least several times a week. If this is not done, yeast residues will spoil the taste of the drink and give it an unpleasant sourness. This means that it is better to go to trusted establishments, as the risk of encountering a poor-quality product is lower. 

• 6. Serving tricks

Before pouring beer, there is no need to wipe the glass dry. It is enough to rinse it with cold water to wash off dust and cool it down. Water droplets on the sides of the glass will help the beer reveal its taste and aroma better.

• 7. Counting circles

After drinking a good beer, foam marks — “rings” — remain on the sides of the glass. Their number often corresponds to the number of sips. If there are no marks, the beer may be diluted. You should also be wary if the foam is too large and takes up half the glass — unscrupulous bartenders save on the drink this way.

• 8. Better to pour it into another container

Beer can be sold in glass bottles, tin cans, or plastic containers. It is best to drink it after pouring it into a glass or mug. If you drink it straight from the bottle or can, the drink gets shaken up and quickly oxidizes, which spoils its taste.

• 9. What is the price?

Cheap beer almost always means poor quality. Of course, a high price does not always guarantee excellent taste (part of the price may be advertising costs), but a low price is a sure sign of a bad product.

•  10. Choose according to taste

And the last rule is that to choose a beer that you will definitely like, it is important to focus on your own taste. The main types are: porter — dark and strong; ale — thick and aromatic; lager — classic light; lambic — Belgian beer with fruity notes.

Seven signs of good beer

The quality of beer can be determined by several characteristics:

• — Good beer should not be cloudy (this also applies to unfiltered beer). Cloudiness indicates impurities or a violation of the brewing process.
• — There should be a slight bitterness of hops in the taste, but it should not be unpleasant.
• — There should be no pronounced smell of honey or acidity — this is a sign of a defect.
• — The taste should be dense and rich, not watery.
• — The foam should be dense and persistent, lasting several minutes. With light beer, the foam leaves rings as the glass is emptied.
• — Dark beer usually has less foam (up to 5 cm), but the bubbles last longer.
• — A distinct sourness and sharp bubbles indicate that the beer has fermented or contains artificial additives.

Rules for consumption

Have you selected a quality beer? Here is how to serve and drink it properly:

• — Do not mix different types of beer in one glass. It is better to finish one and pour a fresh one into a clean glass.
• — Choose glasses made of glass, ceramic, or porcelain. Plastic and metal are not suitable.
• — The optimal serving temperature is up to 8 °C. Cool beer in the refrigerator, but not in the freezer — a sharp temperature change will spoil the taste.
• — Pour beer correctly: hold the bottle or can 2-3 centimeters from the rim of the glass, which should be held at an angle. Pour to the middle of the glass (there is often a special mark there) to allow the foam to form and settle.
• — The ideal way to taste beer is in three sips: the first large (about half), the second half of what remains, and the third to finish off the rest. And don't mix beer with other alcohol.
• — Never add fresh beer to yesterday's leftovers. It's better to pour out any unfinished drink.

Now you know how to distinguish quality beer and serve it correctly. And if you don't want to do everything yourself, come to Lambic beer restaurants! We will advise you on beer, recommend excellent snacks to go with it, and delight you with a cozy atmosphere. See you soon!

Date: 30 September

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